Baking and packaging system

ABSTRACT

A system for cooking and packaging bakery goods with minimum handling. Flat-folded, double-layer paperboard trays having spaced openings in the upper layer are erected and placed on a conveyor. A paper baking cup is inserted into each opening with its bottom resting on the lower layer of the tray, and a predetermined amount of batter is injected into each cup. The trays of batter-filled cups are transported to an oven for baking, removed from the oven, and inserted into protective delivery and display cartons for purchase by a consumer. The tops of individual baked goods in the trays may be iced, if desired, and all steps are readily automated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to commercial food preparation and packaging andmore particularly to a method for cooking and packaging bakery goods.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The conventional method for commercially baking and packaging individualbakery items such as cupcakes and muffins includes placing fluted paperliners or cups into individual molds of metal baking pans, usuallyhaving 36 molds per pan. A predetermined amount of batter is poured intoeach liner and the pans are placed in an oven heated to about 325° F -350° F for baking for about 12-15 minutes. The pans are then removedfrom the oven and carried to racks for an allotted cooling period. Aftercooling the pans are taken to a moving conveyor onto which the cupcakesor muffins are dumped, inspected, and iced. They are then lifted fromthe conveyor manually and individually placed into cartons formerchandising to the consumer.

After dumping the cupcakes or muffins, the baking pans are stacked andcarried by hand to an area where they are inspected, washed, andprepared for further use.

The above process requires a high amount of labor and involvesconsiderable handling of the individual baked goods resulting insignificant rejection and undesirable exposure to contamination. Itwould be desirable, therefore, to eliminate individual handling of thebakery items as well as the operations involved in recycling the metalbaking pans.

Other processing systems in the food handling art are described in thefollowing U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,785 to S. B. Steger shows anopen-ended frozen food carton, having openings for paper cups to befilled with ice cream. The carton serves the multiple functions of a cupcharging rack, a cold storage cup holder, a trade distribution carton,and a disposable retailer's display rack.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,668 to H. H. Bridgford discloses a boxlike, foldedcarton for frozen prepared dough that serves as a receptacle for thedough from its frozen storage state to its eventual baking by theconsumer without removing the dough from the receptacle until it isready to be cooled or to be eaten. The carton consists of a cardboardstructure coated along the entire inner surface with a layer of aluminumfoil. The cardboard may be of the solid, bleached sulphate type, thealuminum foil having a thickness of about 0.0003 inch.

U.S. Pats. No. 3,619,215 and No. 3,780,187 to J. C. Bard et al. and No.2,686,129 to O. E. Selferth show "heat and serve" packaging trays forsausage or bacon. The trays are made of heavy aluminum sheet (e.g. 0.004inch thickness) or of paperboard lined either with metal foil (e.g.aluminum foil) or heat and grease resistant plastic coatings orlaminates such as polycarbonates or trimethylpentene polymers.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,624 to C. M. Kinghorn et al. shows a tubularcontainer made from spiral wrapped metal foil that serves as amerchandising package for items such as meat, biscuits, or the like andwhen unwrapped serves as a heating or baking utensil for such itmes.U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,400 to F. C. Powers describes an expandable metalcake pan that serves both as a merchandising container for premixed cakebatter and subsequently as the baking container for use by the consumer.U.S. Pat. No. 2,271,921 to J. M. Luker discloses an angel food cakepackage wherein the metal pan in which the cake was baked serves also asthe merchandising package for sale to the consumer. U.S. Pat. No.3,099,567 to D. H. Wallace et al. is directed to a combination foodpackage, shipping, display and heat exchange container and serving trayfor shucked oysters or other bivalves. The tray of this patent is madeof heavy gauge thermoplastic material and contains an ice compartment tokeep the oysters cold.

None of the above patents shows or suggests the use of a heat resistantpaperboard tray having a plurality of openings for an equal number ofpaper baking liners as a support for said liners during successive stepsof pouring batter into the liners, baking, icing and insertion into asealable merchandising carton.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for cookingand packaging bakery products that requires minimum or no handling ofthe individual products.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method for bakingsimultaneously a predetermined number of bakery items and for packagingthe items in a single carton without handling each item individually.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive,heat-resistant paperboard tray for use as a support and spacing meansfor a plurality of paper baking liners through successive steps ofpouring batter, baking, icing and inserting into sealable merchandisingcartons.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method forpositioning paper baking cups in a predetermined spaced arrangement onan inexpensive, heat-resistant, pasteboard tray for filling with batter,baking and installing in a final package without removing the cups fromthe tray.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method forpreparing, baking, and packaging bakery products that is adapted tocomplete automation.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a two-levelbaking tray of heat resistant paperboard, the upper level having aplurality of openings for holding a corresponding number of pleatedpaper baking liners in spaced relation with their bottoms supported bythe lower level, the distance of the upper level above the lower levelbeing sufficient to prevent dislodgement of the liners during subsequentfilling, baking and packaging operations but not so great as to allowthe liner to bulge out below the upper level when filled with battercausing the cooked bakery item to become jammed in the tray.

The method of the present invention comprises generally the steps ofproviding double-layer trays of heat resistant paperboard, the trayshaving a predetermined number of spaced openings in the upper layer,positioning paper baking cups in the openings in each tray with thebottoms of the cups resting on the bottom layers of the trays,introducing a predetermined amount of batter into each cup, transportingthe trays of batterfilled cups to an oven for baking at a predeterminedtemperature for a predetermined time sufficient to fully cook thebatter, removing the trays of baked goods from the oven; inserting eachtray of baked goods into a protective carton; and closing and sealingthe carton ready for delivery to the consumer.

If desired, the method may include the steps of cooling the baked goodsin the trays after removal from the oven and decorating the tops of thecooled goods before inserting the trays in the cartons.

As stated above, the paperboard tray should be heat resistant.Preferably its upper surface should be foil covered so that any batteror icing spills will not soak into the paperboard to cause an unsightlystain on the tray when the goods are in the merchandising displaypackage. The foil coating may also reflect heat into the batter-filledcups for more uniform baking of the product.

In addition to being heat resistant, it is also desirable that thepaperboard be formulated so as not to emit fumes when subjected to thebaking process that would change the flavor of the finished product.

A preferred embodiment of the tray comprises a rectangular one-pieceblank folded to form a two-layer, open-ended tray having at least oneopening in the upper layer sized to snugly accept a correspondingpleated paper baking liner with its bottom supported by the lower layerof the tray. The spacing between the upper and lower layers issufficient to prevent dislodgment of the liner during subsequent stepsof filling, baking and packaging but not so high that the liner willbulge below the upper layer when filled with batter and cause thesubsequently baked item to become jammed in the tray and difficult toremove without damage. The optimum height of the upper layer above thelower layer is about 3/4 inch for most applications.

The above and other features and objects of the invention will be morefully explained in connection with the preferred embodiments illustratedin the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a step-by-step simplified illustration of the baking andpackaging method of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a fold-up tray forpracticing the method of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of cup cakes in paper liners in a pasteboardtray taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a final package of baked goods resultingfrom the method of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the sealed package of baked goods takenalong lines 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate arrangement of a fold-uptray for practicing the method of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The steps of the preferred method of the invention are illustrated inFIG. 1, continuing in sequence from upper left to lower right. In thefirst step, a two-layer paperboard tray 10 has been erected from aflat-folded blank and placed at a first station on a flat conveyor ofconventional design (not shown to avoid unneccessary detail). The trayis folded from a single piece of paperboard to form an upper layer 11, alower layer 12 and two sides 13 and 14. The plurality of openings 15 arepunched through the upper layer in predetermined spaced relation,depending on the number, size and shape of bakery items desired for asingle merchandising package. Tray 10, for example, has six openings andis suitable for a package of half a dozen cupcakes or muffins.

The tray is then transported by the conveyor to a second station wherepleated paper baking cups or liners 16 are inserted through the openingsin the upper layer of the tray, one cup per opening, so that the bottomsof the cups rest on the lower layer of the tray. The liners are the sameas those used in the conventional baking process with metal pans and aremade preferably of 30 lb. test solid bleached sulphate grease-proofpaper. The paper liners can be either plain or foil-laminated, ifdesired. Typical foil thickness is approximately 0.0003 inch, and thefoil is applied to the outside surface of the liner only.

After the liners are positioned in the openings, the tray advances to athird station underneath a reservoir 17 filled with batter and having aplurality of delivery spouts 18 equal in number and spacing to theliners in the tray. A predetermined amount of batter 19 is deliveredsimultaneously from each spout to the corresponding baking cup beneathit, and the tray of batter-filled cups then proceeds to an oven 20 wherethe batter is baked for a predetermined time at a predeterminedtemperature. For cupcakes the baking time may be typically 12 to 15minutes at 325° F to 350° F.

Following the baking step, the tray with the now fully cooked cupcakesis transported from the oven to a cooling station for a predeterminedtime. Then the tray moves to a sixth station underneath anotherreservoir 21 containing icing and also equipped with a plurality ofspouts 22. Spouts 22 are equal in number and spacing to the cupcakes onthe tray, and a predetermined amount of icing is depositedsimultaneously on the top of each cupcake when the tray is positionedunder reservoir 21. After icing, the tray of completed cupcakes moves toa loading station where the cupcakes may be inspected, and then the fulltray is inserted into a delivery and display carton 24, which is thenclosed and sealed ready for purchase by a consumer.

The foregoing description demonstrates that the method of using apaperboard tray to serve as a carrier for a plurality of baked goods forthe entire process from the pouring of the batter through baking,cooling, decorating, inspecting and final packaging reducessignificantly the amount of hand labor required. In particular, the needfor removing individual baked items from the previous metal baking pansand for handling the items individually through the inspecting, icingand packaging steps has been eliminated. Also eliminated, of course, isthe entire cycle of operations performed on the pans themselves (i.e.stacking, washing, inspecting, etc.).

Furthermore, the method of the present invention is particularly adaptedto completely automated production. In such an operation, cases offlat-folded trays are delivered to the feed hopper of a setup machinethat automatically erects the trays and places them on a conveyor.Another machine then inserts the liners into each tray, the trays moveforward at a predetermined rate to an automatic batter pouring station,and the filled trays then enter an oven sized to provide sufficientbaking time in relation to the conveyor rate. The icing step is alsoautomated in the same manner as the batter pouring step, and the traysare inserted automatically into cartons that have been set up from aflat blank by an automatic forming machine. A final machine then closesand seals the box for complete protection.

The batter and icing stations have been described as delivering from asingle reservoir simultaneously to all cups on a tray. Since theconveyor line speed will normally be limited by the oven size, it willusually be sufficient to have a single row of batter and icing spoutsarranged transversely to the line of travel of the conveyor. If desired,each spout can be fed from a separate reservoir so that differentflavors of batter and icing can be provided for cupcakes in a singlepackage.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate one form of tray made from a single rectangularpaperboard blank. In this example the blank is first punched with twocolumns of three openings extending parallel to the short sides of theblank, with the center line between the columns displaced to one side ofthe center of the long dimension of the blank. One column of openings ispunched clean and the other column, closest to the end of the blank ispunched only partially. The circular tabs of partially punched openingsare scored for folding on two parallel lines, one fold downward on line24 at the connection of the tab to the blank and the second fold on line25 at a distance equal to the intended height of the erected blank, thetwo folds separating each tab into a wall portion 26 and a base portion27.

The blank is also scored for four fold lines to form the upper layer 11,the two sides 13 and 14, and the lower layer 12. As shown in thefigures, lower layer 12 is composed of a short end flap 28 and a longerend flap 29. The upper faces (when folded) of the two end flaps are thenglued to the under surfaces of the base portions 28 of each circulartab. The finished trays can be folded flat for shipment and easilyerected for use. When erected, the wall portions 26 of the circular tabsact as central partitions to provide increased stiffness to the tray.

If unsupported, the pleated wall of a typical baking liner will tend tobulge outward in a region slightly above the bottom of the liner when itis filled with fluid batter as a result of the hydrostatic pressureexerted by the batter. An important feature of the double-layer traydisclosed herein is that the upper layer is spaced above the layer at aheight predetermined to provide maximum support to the liner walls, asshown in FIG. 3. The optimum spacing is about 3/4 inch for most bakingapplications, although it may be increased for particularly large itemssuch as a pound cake, for example. It is important that the height ofthe upper layer of the tray above the lower layer be so great that theliners will bulge out in the space between the layers, making itdifficult for the consumer to remove the bakery items from the traywithout damage to the baked goods.

A preferred material for the trays is 0.018 inch solid bleached sulfateboard weighing approximately 67 pounds per thousand square feet andcontaining approximately 20 percent titanium dioxide pigment forbrightness. The top liner of the board is clay coated to resist greasestains; the bottom liner, which forms the inside surface of the finishedtray, can be untreated.

As mentioned earlier, the outer surface of the tray may have a foillamination (preferably 0.0003 inch thick) attached by a suitableadhesive, such as Bordens LB-4340. The foil produces an attractive shinysurface that is not stained by drops or spills of batter or icing.

An important feature of the above type of paperboard is that it resiststemperatures as high as 400° F for at least the usual baking timeswithout chemically degrading or changing color.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the appearance of the tray of cupcakes in thefinal sealed package, which normally will have a transparent window 30in the top of the box to facilitate consumer choice. The importance ofhaving an attractive, fresh-looking tray for the goods can thus be fullyappreciated. As shown in FIG. 5, the tray should be sized to fit snuglywithin the box, thereby contributing the additional advantage ofprotecting the contents from shifting and consequent damage.

Referring to FIG. 6, one can see that still another advantage of usingan inexpensive paperboard tray for both baking and packaging bakeryitems is that a wide variety of shapes and sizes is possible without theexpense of a large inventory of special types of metal baking pans. InFIG. 6 a two-layer tray 31 of the same type as shown in FIG. 2 has onecolumn of two square openings 32 and a second column of one squareopening 32 and one oval opening 33. The potential for novel andinteresting merchandising assortments is literally endless. In addition,the method is adaptable for use with individual bakery items weighingfrom one ounce to one pound, or even more if desired.

The type of tray illustrated in the drawings is preferred because itfolds flat to take up minimum storage space prior to use and because itprovides maximum access for the heated air in the oven to contact andcirculate around the baking liners for uniform heat transfer to thebatter. The method can also be practiced using trays of suitable moldedheat resistant sheet plastic or paper material having spacedindentations of the proper size and shape for supporting correspondingbaking liners.

I claim:
 1. A method of cooking and packaging baked goods comprising thesteps of:providing a shallow tray made primarily of heat resistantnonmetallic material, the tray having an upper level and a lower levelspaced below the upper level, the upper level of the tray having anumber of spaced openings, and the lower level extending in a planebeneath the openings; positioning paper baking liners in the openings inthe tray so that the bottoms of the liners are supported by the lowerlevel of the tray, and the sides of the liners are supportedcircumferentially by the edges of the corresponding openings in theupper level of the tray; pouring a predetermined amount of batter intoeach liner; transporting the tray of batter-filled liners to an oven forbaking at predetermined temperature conditions for a predetermined timesufficient to fully cook the batter; removing the tray of baked goods inthe liners from the oven; and enclosing the tray of baked goods within aprotective delivery and display package, without removing or disturbingthe liners in the tray, whereby the individual liners are continuouslysupported in predetermined spaced relation through the complete processof filling, cooking, and packaging the baked goods, and the cost ofreusable metal baking pans is eliminated.
 2. The method of claim 1further comprising the step of applying icing to the top surfaces of thebaked goods after removing the tray from the oven and before enclosingthe tray in the protective package.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein thetray is a flat-folded, double-layer tray of heat resistant paperboardand comprising the step of erecting the tray from its flatfoldedcondition.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the openings in the upperlevel of the tray have predetermined different sizes of shapes, and thestep of positioning paper baking liners in the openings comprisespositioning a liner of corresponding size and shape in each opening. 5.The method of claim 1 wherein the step of pouring batter into each linercomprises simultaneously pouring batter into all the liners after theyhave been positioned on the tray.